WORCESTER 
For the second time in six weeks, the City Council has used a parliamentary procedure to prevent obstacles in the potential siting of state-sanctioned medical marijuana dispensaries in the city.

By an 8-2 vote, the council Tuesday night placed on file an order by Councilor-at-Large Konstantina B. Lukes, who called for a local moratorium on allowing medical marijuana dispensaries for one year, or until the state Department of Public Health completes its regulations, whichever comes first.

The council used the same parliamentary move in early December when it voted to place on file a resolution offered by Mrs. Lukes, when she asked it to go on record in opposition to siting any medical marijuana dispensaries in the city.

Massachusetts voters approved a referendum in the Nov. 6 election to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes.

Under the law, which won the support of 63 percent of the voters, as many as 35 centers can open next year, with a maximum of five centers per county.

But Mrs. Lukes said the ballot question is “very vague” and circumvents the legislative process, which would have included public hearings.

She added that while Massachusetts voters have approved the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes, the federal government still views marijuana as an illegal substance.

Mrs. Lukes said the Department of Public Health is supposed to develop its regulations governing the siting and operation of medical marijuana dispensaries three months after the law took effect Jan. 1, but she has been told they will not be done by then.

“Police need clear direction on this and it doesn’t look like they are going to get it for a long while,” she said. “We could have a long period of chaos.”

But District 2 Councilor Philip P. Palmieri dismissed Mrs. Lukes’ concerns, saying the council should allow the Department of Public Health to do its work before setting up any potential obstacles for the siting of medical marijuana dispensaries.

“This seems like a broken record; I think I heard the same thing three weeks ago,” Mr. Palmieri said of Mrs. Lukes’ concerns. “Let’s remember that nearly 65 percent of the voters approved this ballot question, but I guess that’s not enough for some people. Let the state do their business. Before we do anything, let’s wait to get the kind of information (from the state) that the electorate expects us to have. A moratorium makes no sense at all.”

While Councilor-at-Large Frederick C. Rushton also said the council should wait for the state to develop its regulations, he did agree with Mrs. Lukes’ call for the Department of Public Health to hold a public hearing in Worcester before developing its regulations.

District 4 Councilor Sarai Rivera, who with Mrs. Lukes were the only two councilors who voted against filing the order calling for a moratorium, said the issue merits some discussion.

District 3 Councilor George J. Russell, meanwhile, asked for a report on where medical marijuana dispensaries would fall under the city’s table of zoning uses.

He said he would not want to see a dispensary located within a residential area, just as he would not want to see a pharmacy in a residential area.